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I've always been incredibly organized, and my ideal digital calendar is pristine. I've been a devoted Google Calendar user for years, using an innovative color-coding system to keep track of my classes, work, assignments, parties, and everything other demands on my time. I'm the chick who will send you a gcal invite if you take me out to lunch.

Unfortunately, I've lately come to the unfortunate realization that it's time to transition my Google calendar to another software after years of love and use. Start the jitters. Fortunately for me and you, moving your whole calendar—including past, present, and future events—is simpler than it seems. 

I've identified the simplest ways to move your calendar between services, such as Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, and Microsoft Outlook, after conducting my own research and testing every approach. There will be variations in the process depending on the platform you choose.

There is a technique to move your calendars between services, so it doesn't matter if you're an avid user of Apple, gcal, or Microsoft Outlook.

Getting ready to migrate: What to know

The most straightforward method for moving your whole calendar between services is to export it from one, download it as an.ics or.csv file, and then import it into the new calendar service. This way, you won't have to worry about losing any events in the transition and the new service will have access to both your whole calendar history and your upcoming events.

You can only export and import data for Outlook, Apple Calendar, and Google Calendar using a desktop or laptop. Using the apps on a phone or tablet won't allow you move.

Mac users should be aware that you cannot export an Outlook calendar from a Mac device. There is currently no capability that allows you to export your calendar, regardless of whether you are using the web version or the Outlook client. I understand; as a devoted Apple customer, I share your frustration.

Here is how to export and import your calendar from each service to the new one.

Downloading your Google calendar

1. Open Google Calendar on desktop.
2. Navigate over to the left-hand side menu and find My calendars.
3. Click the three dots next to the name of the Google Calendar you want to export.
4. Click Settings and sharing.
5. Click Import & export. 
6. Click Export. This will download your calendar into an .ics file in a ZIP drive. 
7. Click into the ZIP drive. Move the .ics file out of your downloads folder to somewhere on your computer that you can easily find.

Downloading your Apple calendar

1. Open Calendaron Mac.
2. Check the calendar you want to migrate and uncheck all the rest.
3. Click File > Export > Export… 
4. Name the file and save it where you can easily find it on your computer.
5. Click Export.

Downloading your Outlook calendar on Windows

1. Open Outlook.
2. Click File.
3. Click Open & Export. 
4. Choose Import/Export and click Export to a file.
5. Choose Comma Separated Values (CSV) as the format type -- this will download it as an Excel sheet. Then click next.
6. Select Calendar from the Select folder to export screen options. Then click next.
7. Click Browse to choose where you want to save the downloaded file and name it. Then click OK.
8. Click Next. Confirm your export -- it should say something similar to "Export 'Appointments' from folder: Calendar."
9. Click Finish.

You can experience difficulties if the Outlook calendar you're attempting to download is managed by a bigger institution, such as your company or university. It's possible that they disabled some features, which would make downloading your calendar challenging or impossible. Contact your IT administrator for troubleshooting if you believe this to be the situation.

Importing your calendar to Google

1. Open Google Calendar on desktop.
2. Navigate to the left-hand side menu and find Other calendars.
3. Click the plus sign next to Other calendars.
4. Click Import. Upload the file you previously downloaded and saved.
5. Click the drop down arrow to choose where you want to save the new calendar. You may only be able to save it on your main calendar. 
6. Click Open.
7. Click Import.

Importing your calendar to Apple

1. Open Calendar on Mac, then go to File > Import… 
2. Select and import your downloaded file.
3. Select where you want this calendar to go: Home, Calendar, Work or your existing custom calendars. You can also create a New Calendar.
4. Click Import. 

Note that if you want your new Apple calendar to appear across your devices, you'll need to enable iCloud sharing for Calendar. You can do this sharing by going into your device's Settings > iCloud Account > Calendar and toggling on.

On a Mac and an iPhone, you may confirm that the imported calendar is preserved on iCloud. Make sure the new calendar is listed under iCloud in the menu on the left when using a Mac. Make sure the new calendar is listed under iCloud by tapping Calendars at the bottom of the screen on an iPhone. Try reimporting it after enabling iCloud backup for Calendar if it isn't mentioned.

Importing your calendar to Microsoft Outlook

1. Open Microsoft Outlook and click on the calendar tab.
2. Navigate to the left-hand side menu and open the sidebar.
3. Click Add Calendar; then select "Import ICS…" 
4. Click Browse and select the downloaded file.
5. Click Import.
6. You can either view your new calendar or close the window.

By making a new folder, you can save your imported calendar as a separate calendar rather than merging it with your current one. Before importing your previous calendar file, make a new folder.

1. Find your email address underneath My Calendars on the left-side menu.
2. Click the three dots next to it.
3. Create a New Folder and name it. 
4. Follow the above steps (2-4) to prepare to import.
5. Before clicking import, use the drop-down arrow next to your email address and select the new folder. This will save the imported calendar in that folder.
6. Click Import.

You may easily separate and see events from the imported calendar by creating a new folder and separating it from your current calendar.